The New Guy
by Phrame
Summary: Lizzie's got some new neighbors, and Gordo realizes he may have some competition. The New Guy from across the country is here, and ready to make an impact.
1. New Neighbors

The first morning rays peek through a set of off-white curtains, shining a subtle peach light upon Lizzie McGuire's innocent face. The warmth of the sun alone would eventually awaken her. Today was an exception, however, due to the unusually loud sounds of air brakes on a tracker trailer right outside her Californian home. Of course, she was the only one to have her sleep disturbed by this, as it was already 1 o' clock. Keep in mind; Lizzie was no longer the clumsy, awkward, 13-year-old girl of Hillridge Junior High. No, those days were long since gone. She was already 17, and soon to becoming into her senior year of high school. She had been in a San Diego club with a few of her friends the night before, so naturally she got in a little late. She hoped to get as much rest as possible for today, but now her midday slumber was interrupted, and, as usual, being the curious teenage female she is, Lizzie had to find out why.  
  
She slowly rose from her bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes, and let out a yawn as she silently hobbled over to the window. She pushed the curtains out of the way with her left hand and was a bit surprised to see two large moving vans in front of the house next door. Her neighbors had moved close to two years ago, and throughout that time, no one had ever come to live there. Just when everyone thought that the house might never be sold, sure enough, the Century 21 sign on the front lawn printed the word in large, bold, red text. Just one thing still puzzled Lizzie; the sign had been put up in April. It was now August, and the new neighbors were just moving in!  
  
Lizzie was actually quite anxious to see some new faces in the neighborhood. Mostly everyone whom she graduated middle school with still lived in the area. No one had moved too far away from Hillridge, and while this gives a great sense of community togetherness, it can be rather boring after some time. It wasn't that Lizzie didn't appreciate all of the friends and acquaintances she had made over the years, it was just that she always wondered what it would be like for something, or someone, entirely different from the norm to be present in her everyday life.  
  
She let out a slight sigh as she looked down at her body. She had slept in the clothes she wore the night before, so she felt she needed to change. He gathered some new clothing from her dresser drawers, and folded them over her shoulder as she exited her room for a nice shower. It would give her time to think about the uncertainties she would face in the upcoming week - when she would go back to school.  
  
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Lizzie quickly shuffled down the staircase, smelling the aroma of bacon and eggs, still thick in the air from the morning's breakfast. She knew it was probably long gone by now, but walked into the kitchen to check just in case. Her mother, Jo McGuire, was sitting at the kitchen counter reading the newspaper to herself. As Lizzie walked by, Jo glanced over the paper, but didn't say a word. Lizzie stayed shut as well, scanning the room with her eyes. "Two strips of bacon and some scrambled eggs are sitting in the microwave, if you want any," Jo said quietly, not lifting her head from the paper. Lizzie could tell that she was upset if she couldn't even get a good morning out of her mother. "I'm sorry I got home so late last night, Mom," Lizzie started, "but the GTI caught a flat, and Gordo rode with Miranda, so I had to fix it myself. You know how bad I am with cars!" Jo lowered her paper and gave Lizzie a look only a mother could give. Lizzie remained adamant in her excuse, and wasn't changing her story. Jo thought she would regret it, but she believed Lizzie. Jo smiled, and quietly said, "Good morning, by the way." Lizzie shot her a warm smile back. "Morning, Mom. Oh by the way, did you notice the moving vans outside the house this morning?" Lizzie continued. "Oh yeah, the new neighbors were just able to sign the lease, so that explains why they didn't move in sooner. Your father knows more about them than I do. He was out talking to them earlier this morning." Lizzie was interested so she decided to try and find out some more about the new family in town.  
  
After she ate a quick breakfast, she walked out the front door with her keys, and walked down the front driveway to greet her father, who was just finishing up mowing the lawn. "Good Morning, sleepyhead," Sam McGuire jokingly said. Lizzie gave her father a kiss on the cheek, and replied, "Good morning, Daddy. Hey, Mom told me that you had a conversation with the new neighbors. So what are they like?" Sam smirked a little, and moved in closer to her, so he wouldn't have to speak as loud. "Well, from what I understand, we have three new neighbors. Two are parents, Amalio and Devon Johnson. They have an 18-year-old son, Mark, who will be going to your school this year. But this is the interesting part; they family moved all the way from Brooklyn in New York City!" Here was a nice twist to the everyday life of Lizzie McGuire. New friends to make already before the school year begins, from across the country no less! Lizzie quietly pondered to herself what the family was like.  
  
"Interesting. Get anymore dirt on 'em, Dad," Lizzie jokingly asked. Her father raised his left eyebrow before replying, "No, they had to unpack a few things, but they did invite us all over for dinner once they have everything settled. We're going, and your mother and I expect you to be there as well."  
  
"Alright, Daddy. Well, I was supposed to meet Miranda and Ethan at the Digital Bean about a good half hour ago, so I suppose I should get going. See you tonight, okay?" Lizzie waved goodbye to her father before walking back up the driveway and into her purple 1998 Volkswagen GTI. She turned the key to the ignition and slowly backed out down the driveway. As she stopped to look out for oncoming traffic, she caught a glimpse of a figure walking into the recently vacated home. She thought nothing of it, and was on her way to the Digital Bean.  
  
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Now, to fully grasp this story, you'll need a little background info. Oh how rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as the middleman. Not the narrator, but instead simply a casual observer. I will pop in from time to time, just to keep this story along. I will give my very opinionated point of view whenever possible, so ignorant people need not read further. Okay, since that is out of the way, let's get things straight. I don't know you and you don't know me. Nevertheless, I think the information that I will provide should interest you. So, let me start things off. First thing's first, as you can probably assume, Lizzie McGuire and David "Gordo" Gordon eventually got together. However, this didn't come easy and it didn't happen overnight. It took time. Lizzie tried a relationship with local pretty boy airhead, Ethan Craft. One can only assume that she realized her attraction to Ethan was purely physical. Gordo also experienced a short-lived relationship with Miranda Sanchez. Unfortunately for her, Gordo also realized he was living a lie. Miranda could sense this, so she wasn't very surprised with the break-up. I guess friends can just sense these things!  
  
During their sophomore year, Gordo had asked Lizzie to the prom, and that night under the moonlit sky, Gordo confessed his almost 5 year obsession. Lizzie, unresponsive at first, was speechless for the first time in her life. It was also the first time in her life that she felt like a kindred spirit, because the feelings were mutual. Didn't you see that coming? They've been together since. Miranda's situation, on the other hand, is rather different. After her lackluster relationship with Gordo, she tried dating around, first with Larry Tudgeman, and then with Danny Kessler, and even with some kid named Jake Thomas, but her new flames were luke-warm, at best. Last year, on New Year's Eve, no less, Ethan Craft had asked her to be his steady girlfriend. She was reluctant, but after about 3 seconds, she accepted. Now, you might say to yourself, if it didn't work with Lizzie, why should it work with Miranda. You've got some attitude, mister. Keep this in mind; Lizzie and Ethan dated back in Junior High. I would think the entire group has much matured since those days. Hey, if you don't believe me, Ethan isn't even really that stupid anymore. He's a steady 'C' student. (I told you they matured a lot.) Here's the real kicker, though. Kate Sanders made peace with Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo during freshman year. She even contemplated dating Gordo soon after, but instead an unlikely rose blossomed between herself and Larry Tudgeman. So what now? Well, the original group of three has now made it's way to six! Although, it's not nearly as close emotionally to the original, it's still closer than some. Well, I've ranted enough let's get back to the Bean.  
  
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Lizzie parked across the street from the Digital Bean so as to not interrupt traffic. She carefully got out of the car, and looked both ways before running across the road. She slowly walked into the Internet café, where she could already see Miranda on a computer. "Probably checking her e- mail again," Lizzie thought to herself as she pulled the glass door open. Ethan spotted her and waved her down to the area they were sitting. "Hey guys," Lizzie said with a smile.  
  
Ethan shot a smile right back and said, "What up, Liz?" Miranda just nodded, as she was too immersed in what she was doing to stop. Lizzie sat down on the red sofa chair nearest to the computer Miranda was using. The couple was unusually quiet, so Lizzie thought she would share the news of her new neighbors with them. "So, New York, huh? That's, like, on the other side of the nation, right?"  
  
Lizzie sighed. "Yes, Ethan. New York is basically the Los Angeles of the East Coast. I wonder what the family is like. I still haven't met them, you know."  
  
Ethan paused. "Well, why don't you just go over and introduce yourself. I mean, you're pretty much the most outgoing person in our group." "Do you really think so," she asked. "Of course, I mean, you're always trying to go out and, like, do new things and visit different places. Why should just going next-door and saying 'hi' be so hard?"  
  
For once in a long time, Ethan was making much more sense to Lizzie. She was the one who got the group to spend a week in San Francisco last summer. She was the one who convinced them all to go to Cancun for Spring Break. What was the big deal about going next door and just saying 'hello'? Lizzie decided that once she got home she would give them an introduction, but right now, she was waiting for Gordo, Kate, and Tudgeman to get there so they could figure out how they were going to spend their Saturday. 


	2. The First Meeting

Are things heating up? Let's find out.  
  
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The dimmed lights were just coming up as Lizzie fixed her hair, after the usual make-out session in the movie theater with Gordo. She wasn't the only one. Tonight, in particular, Lizzie, Gordo, Ethan, Miranda, Kate, and Larry had all settled on going to see a movie. After some discussion, the group decided on the film "The Importance of Being Earnest", a critically acclaimed chick flick on Limited Release in select cities. As the semi-full theatergoers filed out, the happy couples did the same as they held hands. "That movie was so beautiful," Miranda cried. "How would you know? You probably didn't see 5 minutes of it with (ahem) other things to distract you," Gordo joked. "Hey look who's talking," Kate started. "Man, you guys move around so much while you kiss, it looks like you're break dancing or something!" The gang laughed loudly together. They didn't really care what other people thought. Things were going so well, it was very special to each of them. They hoped this time in their lives would never end. The group was just walking into the lobby as Lizzie asked, "So, did I tell you other guys about my new neighbors?"  
  
"What new neighbors?" Gordo asked. "I'll take that as a no," Lizzie muttered, sarcastically. Miranda chuckled, "Yeah, Ethan and I already know, but Lizzie's new neighbors who moved into the Peterson's old house are from New York City." Ethan thought to himself for a moment. "Wow, that's pretty far," Tudgeman said with a smile. Kate shook her head. "Far? Isn't that an understatement?" she said. "No, it's only about roughly 3,000 miles," Gordo retorted, matter-of-factly. This comment garnered a few blank stares. "Well, I guess it's far enough."  
  
"You're a real goofball, you know that?" Lizzie laughed. "So, any kids?" Larry asked. "Yeah, one. His name is Mark and he's 18. I haven't seen him yet, though." Lizzie replied. "Let's keep it that way," Gordo quickly commented with a sly smile. Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Don't worry," she started, "we'll be seeing a lot more of him around school I'm sure." Kate yawned lightly. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could use a drink. coffee, I mean. Gawd, chill out guys, it's not like I'm an alcoholic!" she cried defensively. Lizzie giggled. Kate was known to party hard, and could probably out-drink Dean Martin, but she knew when enough was too much. "I guess we're on our way to the Digital Bean," she continued. "Mmm, curly fries." Gordo dribbled, as visions of freshly made, lightly seasoned french fried potatoes danced in his head. Larry gave Gordo a confused look, and then turned back to the doors. "You know," he started, "Lizzie's right. You really are a goofball, Dave." The group laughed again as they walked out of the theater doors into the parking lot..  
  
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The last remnants of Lizzie's second hot chocolate were slurped down before she let out a satisfying, "Ahh." Even in the last week of August, hot chocolate could be extremely enjoyable, even more so at night. The Digital Bean had a few locals other than the group sitting around, but besides that, there was not much action. Kate and Larry had already decided to leave so only Ethan, Miranda, Lizzie, and Gordo were left to enjoy their last summer Saturday. Come Monday, it would already be September. The season went by fast, but they could still enjoy each other's company before the night was over. The four chatted about old times of Middle School and Junior High, to the more recent memories of High School. They were better times, in all honesty. Lizzie's friends were happier, closer, and a lot smarter. However, deep down they were all relatively the same people that graduated Kindergarten together. It's just that things change. Times change. People change. It's inevitable. The gang of friends knew this as the conversation began to delve a bit deeper than usual. After some time, there was an awkward silence in the middle, causing each of them to be left in a quiet period of contemplation. Lizzie shrugged it off first, and quickly decided that she should be the next to leave.  
  
"I think I should get going now," she stammered. "Why? Is something wrong," Gordo asked sympathetically. "Oh, no, nothing like that. I just really have to get home! My parents are probably waiting for me," Lizzie quickly replied. "Alright, see you around, Liz," Ethan shouted to her. "Call me tomorrow, okay, Lizzie?" Miranda quickly commented. "Yeah, me too. I'll miss you," Gordo said, almost in a whisper, as he kissed her on the cheek. Lizzie gave him a quick smooch before saying, "Okay, I'll miss you too. Later guys."  
  
Lizzie walked out of the Bean, and slowly sauntered over to her Volkswagen. She really didn't want to leave already, but she had a lot of things on her mind. College was creeping up on her silently, and she hadn't even taken the SAT's yet. She appeared very anxious because she was still unsure of what she wanted to do with her life. On the rather short ride home, she thought about all these things, as well as having to leave home soon, which would mean leaving family, friends, and everything she knew behind. As she pulled into the driveway, she noticed the street was pretty desolate. No moving vans or unpacked boxes of stuff on the neighbors' lawn. Not even many cars were out on the road. She also noticed that all the lights were out in her house. "Hmm, they all must be sleeping already," she thought to herself. She hadn't realized it was already about 12:30 AM. She searched through her purse for her house keys as she stepped up to the front door. "Oh, great. I must have forgotten them or something. Damn."  
  
She walked to the backyard, as her mother always left the sliding door unlocked for her. She didn't think it was so dark, but she could hardly tell with the bright front porch light on. As she stepped onto the back deck, she figured the only light around was the Moon's. She sat down on a chair and looked straight up at the sky. She ran her fingers through her hair as she began to stargaze, deep in thought about everything in her life, and then, the stars. "I thought I was the only one who did that," a soft, deep voice said out of the blue, causing Lizzie to quickly stand up from her chair and turn towards her left side, where the voice came from.  
  
Lizzie backed down a bit after she realized it wasn't a burglar. Standing to the side was a rugged-looking guy, about 6'1, with dark shaggy hair, covering his eyes a little. He looked big, but it was just his baggy clothing that gave the impression. He wore a black undershirt with a white button-down, worn open, with a scratched spider decal on the back. His loose and extremely baggy jeans were crumpled over his clean white Adidas shell tops. He also was wearing a pair of black finger-less gloves on each hand and a long silver chain around his neck. This must be Mark. "I didn't mean to startle you, but it's not all the time you'd find someone doing the exact same thing you're doing, know what I mean?"  
  
Lizzie was a bit surprised at first, and then she realized who it was and her slight fear changed into excitement. She would finally meet the new guy, and maybe get some new information on the family. She had laughed to herself, realizing that he was nervous. She paused before answering, "Um, well, yeah. Sure, I guess." "Oh, jeez, I'm such a mook. My name's Mark. You can call me Mark, or Marcus, or Markie, or whatever you'd like," he said, kind of fast. "Oh, well, my name is Lizzie. Lizzie McGuire. I've heard some interesting things about you." "Really? Well, hey, if they're bad, let me tell you they're not true! No sir, um, mam."  
  
Lizzie laughed, "No, no, nothing bad. Uh, I know we just met and all, but would you like to have a seat, so we can, uh, chat?" Mark's head shot back in a surprised fashion. "Well, yeah, sure. Thanks." Mark slowly walked up to the deck and pulled a chair close, which is not very easy, since the chairs are rather bulky and heavy. He quietly sat down and gave Lizzie a short smile. "So, uh, how long you lived here?"  
  
"Oh, all my life!" Lizzie said with some enthusiasm. Mark gave her another surprised look before saying, rather quietly, "Really?" "Yeah, for about 20 years my parents have owned his place," she replied. "Wow," Mark started, "I must have been in at least three different places in Brooklyn alone. Not to mention Queens or the Bronx."  
  
"You've lived in all those places?" Lizzie asked, with a little shock in her voice. "Well, yeah, they're all relatively close, because they're all part of the boroughs of New York City. I would imagine it to be kind of confusing if you're not from the area," Mark replied. "Tell me about it!" Lizzie said with a light laugh. "Yeah, well, being on the opposite coast is very different from back home." "How do you mean?" Lizzie asked. "Well, okay. How about this? My family and I were in Los Angeles for a week or so last month. And I see that everything is real spread out. I mean, really spread out! It's a good thing that I've got a car down here, because I would never survive!"  
  
"I don't follow you," Lizzie said softly. "You see," he began again, "where I come from, the neighborhoods are very - compact. Everything is close together, I suppose because of overpopulation." He's starting to sound like Gordo, Lizzie thought. "You can get to almost anything with a little walk. I mean, anything! Laundromats, Chinese restaurants, off-track betting, antique glass shops, anything! Hey, and another thing, I don't see too many subways around here."  
  
"You mean, that sandwich place? There's one inside the mall." Lizzie said. Mark paused, and quietly chuckled to himself for a moment. "What's so funny?" Lizzie smiled. "No, no. Trains, underground trains. Subways!" Mark cried. "Oh. Oooh. Oh. Yeah, subways! I knew what you meant." Mark laughed, "You're cute, kid. Real cute." "Hey, who are you calling a kid? I'm just a year behind you," Lizzie cried laughingly. "Oh, excuse me! Jeez, I didn't know you West Coast women were so sensitive!" Mark sarcastically said, holding his hands up in defense, with hints of his Italian accent in his voice. Lizzie laughed again, and looked back up at the sky. "Beautiful night," she said. Mark looked at the sky and then back to Lizzie. "Beeeautiful night, indeed," he replied with a grin. He stretched out his arms and let out a slight groan. He yawned lightly and stood up. Lizzie stood as well.  
  
"Going?" she asked. "Yeah," he started, "unpacking all that crap has left me in the mood for some mineral water and a good night's sleep, you know? Hey, thanks for not being too freaked out when you saw me, you know? You're the first person I've really met in this town, and I hope we can be cool, you know?" Lizzie was starting to think that he was getting nervous again. "Just trying to be a good neighbor, I suppose. Mark, I don't want to seem too forward with this, but hey, I'm getting together with some friends tomorrow, and if you'd like to come you're more than welcome. It'll give you the chance to meet some new people in the neighborhood - you know?" Mark looked down, and then back to Lizzie with a slight smile. "Yeah. Yeah, that would be great. Thanks a lot, bud. Peace out, Liz Mc-G!" He turned back to his house, and strutted over to his back door in his own style. Lizzie smiled as she opened the sliding door, and quietly whispered to no one, "You're welcome." 


	3. Meet the Parents

Lizzie adjusted her olive green top so that it covered her belt. She pulled her khaki skirt up higher so that it came just above her knee. He smiled to herself in the mirror, looking satisfied at her outfit. She wanted to make a good impression on Mark. Even though she already had a boyfriend, she didn't want to look bad. "Anyway", she thought, "he is a good-looking guy, so he'll find somebody soon, I'm sure. There are probably hundreds of girls who would want to hook up with him," Lizzie thought. She moved her hair back behind her ears, and blew a kiss to herself before walking out of her room. She walked into the bathroom, and put a little perfume on her neck. She checked her teeth in the mirror again. Seemed alright. She walked out of the bathroom, and down the stairs to the living room where her now 15- year-old brother, Matt, was laid across the couch watching a basketball game.  
  
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I hate to interrupt but.. Wait, no I don't.. I love to interrupt! Oh well, yes, it is I, the Middleman. Here once again to enlighten you with some of the Ivy League caliber knowledge that I posses so graciously. First of all, some of you might just ask about Matt. Well, I'm all about giving the people what they want. Just like Lizzie, Matt has also developed into quite the teenage heartthrob. He was taller than as his father, and one of the stars of his Junior High basketball team. His hair is about the same as it was when he was nine. Still, there was some major emotional changes dealt after his non-talkative friend, Lanny, suffered a broken neck due to a near- fatal car accident two summers ago. Lanny survived and recovered, but not without many months of intense physical therapy. After the accident, Matt had a small bout of depression at the fact that his best friend almost died. Although there's much more maturing he'll need to do before he's an official adult, Matt became very worldly during this experience. It even affected his family life, as he became more understanding and even got along with his sister. After about a year and a half, Lanny was normal again, and Matt vowed that he would always be there for his friend, should the need arise.  
  
Now, what does this have to do with the story? You need background information, pal! This stuff is useful for further parts of this story. Anyway, the other thing that you might be wondering is Lizzie's apparent concern for her appearance. Well, this is just a rule of thumb. It's a given! Girls will always stress over the way they look. They did hundreds of years ago, they do it now, and they'll do it long after I'm gone. Don't get me started about how they decided to ask us guys about how they look! It's just a sticky situation if you ask me. But moreover, Lizzie already has Gordo, but like a woman, she's going to look good for everybody, including Mark. Does this mean there won't be chemistry between the two? I can't say. Does this mean that neither is concerned about what might be? I can't say. Does this mean that women are incredibly complicated creatures to figure out? The answer is YES! But I'm just rambling.. Back to the story!  
  
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Lizzie picked up an apple off the kitchen counter before walking straight into the living room area, where Matt was vegging. She looked to her brother, then to the television, then back to her brother. "You don't get enough of this at school?" Lizzie questioned ludicrously. Matt turned his head to acknowledge Lizzie's presence, stared, and went back to watching the game without as much as a word. Lizzie rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her apple and walked to the back door. She could already see her mother doing yard work in the back, as it was a particularly nice day outside. She opened the sliding door, and quietly walked down the stairs, trying to avoid a pep talk from her mother. But of course..  
  
"SO.. I heard you're going to take Mark out today.." said Jo McGuire, as she turned to face her daughter with an almost satanic grin. "Mom, it's nothing big. I'm just taking him out with Gordo, and Miranda, and everybody else so he can get to know some people before school starts." Jo just raised her eyebrows, with the same semi-evil smile on her face. "I was just going to say have a good time.", Jo said slyly before she turned back around to her yardwork, whistling while she worked. Lizzie thought that this was weirder than usual for her mom, but shrugged it off, and walked around the house to The Johnson's new front door.  
  
She looked around the front porch, never realizing how big it was for the entire time she had lived no more than twenty feet away. She rang the doorbell as she threw her hair back over her shoulders, and the door was answered by a skinny man with very shaggy hair, just slightly taller than Lizzie. "Oh hey, what's up?", the man asked politely. "Oh, hi! My name is Lizzie McGuire. I live.." "Oh, right, right. The girl Mark was talking about. You live next door right?" Lizzie nodded, and wondered if Mark had a brother that he didn't know about. "Cool, I'm Amalio, Mark's pop", he said with his hand extended. Lizzie smiled and shook his hand, as Amalio let her inside the house. "You'll have to excuse the appearance of this joint. It's a tad messy, I say." he said a little quieter. "Oh, I understand. I mean, you just got here yesterday. It ain't expected to look like the Vatican" Lizzie said, thinking that Mark's accent was rubbing off on her already. Amalio smiled. "Hey", he said with a grin, "I like you. You seem like a good kid. If you want to get Mark up, his room is last on the right upstairs."  
  
Lizzie wasn't used to parents this loose with authority, so she almost thought it was a joke. But she quickly realized Mr. Johnson was totally serious, as he walked back to the kitchen and let Lizzie at the foot of the staircase. She walked up the stairs, and looked around the rooms as she climbed. It seemed a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. Even with the boxes and such all around, it looked pretty nice. Lizzie reached the top of the stairs, and quietly walked to Mark's door. She very softly rapped on the wooden door. No answer. She knocked, again, softly. She felt awkward, just going into his house and waking him up with the fact that they had known each other for less than twelve hours. She knocked again, as the door behind her opened. She quickly turned to see a good-looking woman who seemed to be just a few years older than Lizzie. "Hey, Hun. I'm guessing you're Liz, eh?" she asked. Lizzie nodded silently. "What's up? Let me tell ya, you're never gonna get him up if you knock like that. It would be easier just to go inside and poke him with a stick. Just go ahead", she finished, motioning to Mark's room. "Oh, no I really couldn't.." Lizzie stammered. "Sure ya cooould.. Go.. Go ahead", the woman said with a smile, motioning again to his room. "Well, okay..", Lizzie replied quietly, as she turned the doorknob. The woman smiled again, and walked down the hall, and went down the staircase.  
  
Lizzie just thought that this was weird. Now she was thinking Mark had a sister that he wasn't telling her about. She slowly opened the door, and peered into the room. The sunlight shone directly into his room, just like Lizzie's. She saw that just about everything he had moved with was already unpacked. It had looked as if he had been living there for quite some time, with clothes already piling in his hamper, posters everywhere, and his computer monitor with little action figures sitting on top. Mark's room was actually very big, almost the size of two of her room. The room had an open clearing of about eight feet in the middle, where the carpet was missing, because there was linoleum tile put down. But surrounding the eight feet was a burgundy carpet that covered the rest of the room. She walked around the tile, and towards Mark's bed. He was still wearing the black undershirt from last night and a pair of basketball shorts, but had his huge blanket covering his head and shoulders. He was still fast asleep.  
  
She sat down on his computer swivel chair and thought about waiting until he woke up. She waited, and waited, until after about ten minutes it became obvious that she could be waiting here all day. She thought of an easy way to wake him up without being too rude about it. Suddenly, she realized that she was staring at his feet! She got an idea and rolled the chair over to the other side of the bed. He had some big feet, so she had a lot to work with. She just barely ran her semi-long nails along the bottoms of his feet. For about ten seconds nothing happened, but soon enough. Mark started shaking, and suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter, pulling his feet up to his chest and throwing the blanket over him. "Stop! Stop! No no.. No tickle today.. Who dat?" he said chuckling. "It's me, Lizzie." she said quietly. "Liz? Whatcha doin' here at like seven A.M.?" Mark said, sounding slightly annoyed, with a yawn. "Hey pal", she started, "it's about two o' clock! We gots to get a move on. We should've been there by now. Or should I go alone?" Mark sat up with a huge grin. "Oh, it's you. I thought you was my mom playing jokes on me. What's up? Do we gotta go now?"  
  
Lizzie thought to herself. "No, not right this second," she said, "but in about half an hour we should get going." "Okay," he replied. Mark got up and ran his hand through his hair, and it folded back to what it looked like last night. Lizzie looked at him as he looked at her, and shoot her a warm smile. Lizzie felt her heart leap like it did back in Junior High every time Ethan Craft did as much as drop a pencil. She thought about it as she waited in Mark's room while he took his change of clothes to the bathroom. However she quickly dismissed it as nothing more than physical attraction, and reminded herself that she was just about a married woman. She could always look, though.  
  
Mark returned no more than 5 minutes later, dressed in some baggy tan cargo sweatpants and a Misfits T-Shirt and a loose button-down blue shirt over it. He smiled again and said, "How do I look?" She wanted to tell him what she really thought, but decided that she'd play coy for now. "Looking good. Sexy, sexy." Lizzie giggled. Mark rubbed away an imaginary tear and replied before laughing, "Don't toy with my emotions like that, Liz." He motioned for her to come downstairs, and she walked slowly out of the room, giving it one last glance before he closed the door.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Mark, your dad's very cool. And I thought you didn't have any brothers or sisters." Lizzie said quietly. "I don't", he said with a shrug. "How are you gonna tell me that? Who was the girl I saw coming out the room right across from yours?" Lizzie said, with some annoyance in her tone. "Um... that was my mom." Mark said with a confused grin. "No! Really? I mean.. wow. No!" Lizzie said surprisingly. "Uh, er, ep, dursh, yes." Mark said, teasing her. She slapped him playfully on his arm, and wondered how young, or how old, his parents were.  
  
The two walked down the stairs and Mark grabbed his keys, and yelled in the direction of the kitchen, "Alo, parents with the Greatest Living Specimen of Masculinity for a son?" Lizzie laughed at this statement, but Mark explained it was a goofy nickname his friends in Brooklyn came up with. "Whaddaya want, jabroni?" his father said back, as he walked out of the kitchen. "Daddu, I'ma goin' outta right now", he said making fun of his father's lineage. "Okay, ya jobber, and let's make it an early night today, okay? Some time before about two, we've got some stuff to do before tomorrow." "Oakely Doakely," Mark replied with a salute. Amalio smiled again to Lizzie and waved goodbye. She waved back, but didn't believe what she just heard.  
  
"You have a unique relationship with your parents, don't you?" she said as the front door closed. "Yeah, I guess so. They ain't like most parents, that's fo' sho'. So, where we headed?" he asked as he opened the passenger side door of his '89 Firebird for Lizzie. She smiled, as she wasn't used to getting her door opened for her. She sat down and said with another grin, "Where ever these wheels take us.." 


End file.
